3/20/2011

Sunday Dinner

With two themed Sunday dinners in a row, I was craving comfort food this Sunday. Sunday dinner comfort food for me is a roast chicken, vegetables or a salad, and something chocolate for dessert.

As a reminder, I only feature one recipe from our Sunday Dinner Menu. Today I am sharing the Tiramisù Tart. It is a semisweet chocolate tart topped with a coffee mascarpone cream.

I found this recipe in the April 2003 Food & Wine issue. It was created by pastry chef François Payard. This is his French nod to the classic Italian dessert. There were a few changes I made to the original. First, I used semisweet chocolate instead of bittersweet chocolate. Then, to give it that tiramisù flavor that I love, I added a touch of Kahlúa to the cream topping. The crust is cookie crisp, the chocolate filling is silky, and the cream balances the richness of the chocolate, creating one perfect bite of decadence.

For the Tart ShellIn the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter and egg yolk and pulse until a crumbly dough forms. Transfer the dough mixture to a 9 1/2-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Evenly press the dough over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Transfer to a baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350º F. Line the tart pan with parchment paper and fill with pie weights of dried beans. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the parchment and weights and bake until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

For the FillingIn a medium saucepan, heat the cream and milk until small bubbles appear around the edges of the pan. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate; let stand for 1 minute. Whisk the mixture until the chocolate has completely melted. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes. Whisk in the egg. Place the cooled tart shell on a baking sheet. Pour the mixture into the tart shell. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the edges are set and the middle is still jiggly. Transfer the tart to a rack to cool. Refrigerate until completely chilled.

For the ToppingIn a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. In a separate small bowl, dissolve the espresso powder into the Kahlúa. Microwave the gelatin mixture for 10 seconds, or just until the gelatin melts. Allow the mixture to cool slightly.

In a bowl of stand mixer fitter with the whisk attachment or a large bowl with a hand held mixer, beat the cream, mascarpone, and sugar until firm peaks form. Reduce the speed to low. Add the gelatin mixture and the espresso mixture, beating until combined. Dollop the cream onto the tart. Dust the cocoa powder over the cream. Refrigerate until firm before serving. Enjoy!